Aimez-vous Brahms?

[Michael]

Can someone answer this to settle an argument? I remember reading somewhere that Brahms did not actually write the famous "Lullaby" but only arranged it from an existing melody. I've googled around a bit but I can't find any reference to this. Did I imagine it?

[Hofrat]

Wiegenlied (Cradle Song) opus 49 number 4. Brahms gave it an opus number, so it is an original work. To be differentiated from the Hungarian Dances which Brahms did not give an opus number since he only arranged them for piano 4-hands and orchestrated 3 of them.

[Peter]

And of course he used it in the 2nd Symphony first movt.

[Michael]

Wiegenlied (Cradle Song) opus 49 number 4. Brahms gave it an opus number, so it is an original work. To be differentiated from the Hungarian Dances which Brahms did not give an opus number since he only arranged them for piano 4-hands and orchestrated 3 of them.

Thanks, Hofrat!

[Michael]

And of course he used it in the 2nd Symphony first movt.

Yes - he does use a very similar theme - and I never spotted it until you mentioned it! Thanks.

[Quijote]

Michael nous a posé une question : "Est-ce que j'aime Brahms?". Voici ma réponse : oui. Néanmoins, je m'en moque si Brahms avait en fait écrit la berceuse ou non.

[PDG]

Yeah...

[Michael]

Yeah...

You left out two more "Yeahs", Peter!

[Michael]

Michael nous a posé une question : "Est-ce que j'aime Brahms?". Voici ma réponse : oui. Néanmoins, je m'en moque si Brahms avait en fait écrit la berceuse ou non.

You will have to translate the last sentence, Philip. My thread title might have given the mistaken impression that I speak French, but I was merely quoting the title of Francoise Sagan's novel (which I haven't read, by the way).

[Quijote]

You will have to translate the last sentence, Philip. My thread title might have given the mistaken impression that I speak French, but I was merely quoting the title of Francoise Sagan's novel (which I haven't read, by the way).

You are lucky, Michael, that I am in a good mood after the following wines this afternoon with my lunch : Bordeaux Entre Deux Mers (white) and Julienas Cru de Beaujolais (red). My last sentence, translated : "Do I like Brahms? Yes. Nevertheless, I don't give a fig if he wrote the lullaby or not"

Add icon thingie, showing a smiling face.

[Michael]

Merci beaucoup!

[Quijote]

Merci beaucoup!

Je t'en prie! (= You're welcome!)